


A Circle Instead Of A Pyramid

by CaptnSlash



Category: Teen Wolf (TV)
Genre: Alpha Derek Hale, Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, BAMF Stiles, Beta Scott McCall (Teen Wolf), Derek Hale Loves Stiles Stilinski, Derek Hale is Not a Failwolf, Dialogue Heavy, Emissary Stiles Stilinski, Fae Stiles Stilinski, M/M, Mates, Not Actually Unrequited Love, Scott is a Good Friend, Spark Stiles Stilinski, Stiles Stilinski Has Secrets, Stiles Stilinski Loves Derek Hale, Stiles Stilinski is Part of the Hale Pack, Stiles Stilinski is Seventeen Years Old, The Hale Pack - Freeform, because that's how i roll
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-05-27
Updated: 2020-05-27
Packaged: 2021-03-02 20:00:34
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 7,423
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24412459
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/CaptnSlash/pseuds/CaptnSlash
Summary: Stiles has a secret. He spent his entire life hiding his spark in order to protect himself from attracting the attention of hunters, but that all went to hell when he aligned himself with a werewolf pack. The problem is that none of them know what he is or what he can really do. When his failed attempt to purify the nemeton attracts the attention of the resident druid, he’s faced with a choice: he can either come clean and beg for forgiveness, or he can continue to lie and risk losing the people he loves.
Relationships: Derek Hale/Stiles Stilinski, Scott McCall & Stiles Stilinski, Vernon Boyd/Erica Reyes
Comments: 23
Kudos: 690





	A Circle Instead Of A Pyramid

**Author's Note:**

> I've been really feeling Fae!Stiles lately and this fic came from an idea that wouldn't go away. I kept imagining Stiles using his secret powers behind the scenes and no one noticing and then I found myself wondering what would happen if someone did. This is an extension of that thought process, but don't expect any big magic or fights in this one. 
> 
> There are probably tons of fics out there that are similar to this premise, but this is my take. I was initially going to make this a Stackson fic, but something made me write it for Derek and Stiles instead. I hope you enjoy it!
> 
> I wasn't sure if I should tag this as BAMF!Stiles or not. Share your thoughts if you think I should remove the tag. As usual, all spelling and grammar mistakes are my own. Feel free to point out any errors to me so that I can fix them. Constructive criticism is always welcome.

Stiles’ right leg bounced underneath the desk while he stared at the digital clock on the wall. He was waiting with anticipation for the final release bell of the day because it would herald the beginning of a three-day weekend. He was ready for a little rest and relaxation. He already had plans with Scott to go back to his place and eat junk food and waste brain cells on video games, so Stiles was excited. 

Unfortunately, time seemed to be moving at a glacial pace. It wasn’t his fault that he was hypersensitive to every second passing, but that didn’t make the experience any easier. 

He spent the majority of the previous weekend crafting an elaborate set of wards that he researched and designed in secret. The pack didn’t know about his true nature or his non-human abilities, so he had to keep that aspect of his life a secret until he found the _cojones_ to come clean with everyone. Unfortunately, the wards hadn’t been effective. All he got out of the whole ordeal was a mild headache and a huge drain on his spark.

Excessive use of magic came with side effects, one of them being that his senses were constantly on overdrive while his body stabilized. His spark had rebounded by the following evening, but the other side effects tended to last a little longer. The headache was gone, so he just had a few more hours until he was home and enjoying some much-needed bro-time with Scotty.

He looked away from the clock and his eyes scanned around the room. The teacher had given everyone the final thirty minutes of class to use as a study hall so the students were making an effort to complete all of their assignments before the bell rang. No one wanted to have homework over a three-day weekend. That was why Stiles finished all his assignments the period prior when his class went to the library to do research for an essay.

That paper wasn’t due for two weeks and despite opinions to the contrary, Stiles knew how to manage his time effectively.

Stiles was a master at prioritizing. Patience, however, seemed to be his Achilles heel.

His eyes snapped back to the clock on the wall and he huffed in indignation at the way human time worked. His mother told him stories about the fae kingdom when he was a child and he really liked when she told him secrets about the way time worked in the other realm. The human part of him, the part that used science and logic to understand the unknown, couldn’t grasp the mechanics of how reality worked over there. That’s what made it so fun.

He’d only been able to go there a few times with his mom as his chaperone, but then she got sick and the visits stopped. He was forbidden from going alone and he’d kept the promise he made to her to never visit after she passed away. His dad was human and the sheriff was all he had left. It wasn’t a difficult decision for him, though he could admit to his growing curiosity on occasion.

“Will you settle down?” The boy in front of him asked, turning around and glaring. 

Stiles held up his hands up in surrender. “Sorry, dude. Anxiety and anticipation do not mix with ADHD.”

The guy just rolled his eyes and went back to his school work. Stiles hated being a spazz, but his mother explained that he was special from an early age. Children born from one fae parent and one human parent had a myriad of gifts, but sometimes it came with a few additional challenges. His stubbornness was at the top of the list, much to his parent’s chagrin. 

He has quite a few memories of being a typical child and misbehaving only to get sent to the corner for time out while his parents shared a good laugh about his antics. 

He closed his notebook and started gathering his things as soon as the clock switched to show that they were a minute away from the bell ringing. A couple of the other students did the same thing and it wasn’t much longer before the teacher excused the class. 

Stiles collected his belongings and he made his way to his locker. Some of the other teachers had released their students much earlier because the hallways were filled with an adequate amount of people. When he arrived at his locker, he found Scott waiting there with a disappointed look on his face.

Stiles knew what that look meant. He really did not enjoy that look.

“No! Scotty, we made a plan. You can’t cancel our _bro-sesh_ at the last minute. My heart can’t take it.”

“I’m sorry,” Scott offered. “Deaton texted me and asked me to meet him at the clinic. Apparently he also texted Derek, because I got a second message saying that the entire pack needs to meet there after school.”

Stiles sighed. Leave it to Beacon Hills to ruin his fun. “Fine. What’s going on?”

Scott shrugged his shoulders and then he sidestepped out of the way so that Stiles could access his locker. 

“I don’t really know, man. Deaton said something about an intruder in our territory, but that was all I could get out of him. And you know how Derek is. I didn’t even bother asking him.”

An idea popped into Stiles’ head as he finished zipping up his backpack. All around them, students were talking with friends. He didn’t have to be too concerned about their particular topic of conversation since he was pretty sure that no one would care enough to listen in. 

“Did you ask the betas?”

“Huh?”

“Erica, Isaac, and Boyd. Derek always tells them more than he tells us, right? Maybe they know something.”

“Maybe,” Scott acquiesced. “It doesn’t even matter at this point. We should just drive to the clinic and find out for ourselves.”

“Fair enough. Do you need anything from your locker?”

Scott shook his head. Stiles closed his locker and he turned the combination dial a few times to make sure the mechanism was reset. “All right. Let’s get out of here.”

They walked shoulder to shoulder to Stiles’ Jeep in the parking lot. Scott’s mother had dropped him off for school in the morning since she knew the two of them had plans. Stiles unlocked the driver’s door and he climbed inside before he reached over and unlocked the passenger door. 

Once they were both settled, Stiles started the vehicle. They got out of the lot relatively quick despite the small line waiting at the stop sign to the main road. 

“How’s training been going?”

“With Derek? It’s fine.”

Stiles chuckled. “You don’t sound that enthusiastic about it. Does he still point and glare?”

“All the time, bro. It’s so annoying. Sometimes I just want to kick the guy in the balls.”

“Derek’s been kicked in the balls enough,” Stiles said, coming to the alpha’s defense. “At least he’s trying, right? He’s better than he was when all this started.”

“A little,” Scott agreed. “I think he pushes me harder because I haven’t agreed to join his pack yet.”

“Probably. Can you blame him?”

Scott worked his jaw for a beat before he looked at Stiles. “What are you talking about?”

“The other betas are his. He bit them himself, right? That means he has instincts about their strengths and weaknesses, either from interacting with them for so long or because of the pack bonds he shares with them. But you’re an outsider. Sure, you’re an ally aside from that time you worked with Gerard and with Deaton behind everyone’s backs—.”

“I said I was sorry about that!”

“—But he’s still evaluating you. He’s probably trying to figure out if he should keep trying to recruit you or just let you go.”

Stiles realized he messed up when he sensed Scott’s eyes on him. “How do you know about all that stuff?”

He tried to play it off as no big deal, but something told him he wasn’t going to be successful at it. Scott had been sensing something was up with him for a while and Stiles knew it was only a matter of time before his brother called him out. 

“I’ve been doing research on pack dynamics. Some of it’s pretty interesting, but not all of it applies to our little ragtag group.”

“Uh huh.”

Stiles stopped at a red light, but it turned green a few seconds later. He accelerated the vehicle and spared a glance over at Scott when it was safe to do so. The werewolf was staring out of the passenger window. 

Stiles was smart enough to know that he had to be thinking about Allison. When he got that far away look on his face, he was thinking about Allison. Or when he was making Lovey-Eyes at himself in the mirror. Or when he was smiling at absolutely nothing. Ninety-five percent of the guy’s thoughts resolved around Allison, but Stiles couldn’t fault him for being in love. 

“You’re quiet, Scotty.”

“It’s nothing. I was just thinking about Allison.”

Stiles smirked. “I figured. How are things going with her?”

“We see each other in the hallways and we’re civil, but we don’t really talk. She says she needs space to get her head on straight after everything that happened with her grandfather.”

“You can’t blame her for that, right? She lost her mom and went a little homicidal because the old geezer was manipulating her. Erica and Boyd have already forgiven her.”

Scott turned to face him. “Really?”

“Sure. I mean, forgiving and forgetting are two different things so I’m sure it’s going to take some time before they trust her again, but they’re willing to move forward without becoming blood enemies and fighting each other on sight. That’s not nothing.”

“That’s good,” Scott muttered, suddenly a little more jovial. “I should tell her. It will give me an excuse to talk to her and then I can ask her out.”

Stiles reached over and he patted his friend’s knee. It wasn't weird because they were so close. It was a platonic gesture and Scott knew it; the guy wasn’t even fazed by the contact. 

“Maybe wait a while before you fill her in? You don’t want her to feel like you’re smothering her or trying to pull her back in before she’s ready.”

Stiles ignored the way Scott’s eyes flashed yellow at him. “She knows I’m not trying to smother her, Stiles. We love each other.”

Stiles fought back the urge to chuckle at the werewolf’s protective instincts. Boyd and Erica were the same way with each other, not to mention Jackson when it came to Lydia. It was in a werewolf’s nature to protect what was theirs.

“I’m sure she does know that, dude. I just think she’d appreciate the space that she asked for. It’s probably going to be difficult enough for her to see all of us at the animal clinic. Wait…was she invited?”

“I don’t know,” Scott revealed. “If she wasn’t, Lydia will probably bring her along anyway.”

“Probably,” Stiles agreed. “And we’re here.”

Stiles pulled into the veterinarian’s parking lot. He parked beside the familiar Camaro and waved at Boyd and Erica who were both standing by the door with their arms wrapped around each other. 

“They’re disgusting,” Scott complained.

“You’re just bitter because that isn’t you and Allison right now. You’ve gotta be patient. Some of us are still miserable virgins with no potential suitors in sight, so suck it up, Scotty.”

Stiles exited the vehicle making sure to leave his backpack in the back seat. Scott joined him and they approached the entryway.

“You really should do something about that, Stiles. I’m sure there are tons of people that would be willing to take your v-card,” Erica commented. He wasn't even surprised that she’d been listening in on their conversation.

Stiles wished there was truth to her words, but really there was only one person he wanted to offer up his virginity to. Tall guy, fond of leather jackets with eyebrows of doom, a jawline that could cut glass, and a frown that would even make Santa Claus run in the other direction. He had a thing for Derek Hale. That was his second biggest secret and he intended on taking that one to his grave.

“If only that were true, Catwoman.”

Scott walked past them and entered the clinic without saying a word. Stiles flashed the betas an apologetic smile for Scott’s sudden attitude problem before he trailed after his best friend. Upon entering, he found Derek and Deaton standing over a stack of papers spread over the receptionist’s desk. 

His heart began to speed up when he saw how adorable the alpha looked wearing his maroon shirt with the thumb holes. The guy looked **_soft_** and Stiles just wanted to walk up to the guy and pull him into a hug. 

Derek’s head snapped up when he heard the change in his heartbeat. One of his eyebrows raised and Stiles realized he’d been caught. Luckily, he’d had a lot of time dealing with his crush on the alpha. He increased his breathing a little to make it look like he was slightly out of breath from heading inside.

“Sorry we’re late,” he deflected. “What’s up, doc?”

“You’re both right on time,” Deaton announced. “Thank you all for coming. Will Lydia, Jackson, and Allison be joining us?”

“We didn’t invite them,” Scott informed the room at large. “Did either of you?”

“No,” Deaton admitted. It was obvious that Derek hadn’t bothered to include them. “You can always fill them in later. In fact, it might be better to keep the amount of people that know about this as low as possible for the time being.”

Stiles thought it was a little odd that Jackson hadn’t been invited to tag along, but Derek might’ve avoided inviting him to avoid inviting Lydia and, by extension, Allison. The relationship between their alpha and the former kanima was still rocky, but Stiles believed that things were improving now that both of them seemed to be making an effort. The same couldn’t be said for Derek and Allison. The girl still blamed the alpha for her mother’s death, after all.

Stiles desperately hoped that Jackson hadn’t mouthed off and caused another rift in pack. It was bad enough that they were all as separated as they were. Common sense said that time would heal everything, but common sense had never met anyone as stubborn as Derek Hale or the kids that he bit.

The serious look on Deaton’s face told Stiles that something serious was going on. A slight chill ran up his spine even as he promised himself he’d do whatever he could to protect the pack.

“Okay, now I feel like we’re only minutes away from global thermonuclear war. That is a game I do _not_ want to play.”

He saw the corners of Derek’s mouth twitch a few microns as if he was trying to smile, but the expression was cut off before it could see the light of day. Stiles really wanted to see Derek smile. Only he wanted the genuine version, not the fake flirty kind he’d seen previously. 

“The situation is serious, but I think we’re all relatively safe inside the building.”

Stiles wanted to snort. The wards that Deaton used were mediocre at best. He was surprised the guy knew as much about the happenings around Beacon Hills as he did. Even the ones near the nemeton had been pretty weak. Stiles had unraveled them and deactivated the pair of wards in seconds and he didn’t even have to think to do it. The territory needed stronger wards, but Stiles couldn’t create them without raising a lot of attention. That was the whole reason he’d gone for his plan-b.

Boyd and Erica walked inside and Deaton took that as a sign to get down to business. Everybody ignored that fact that a significant amount of Erica’s lipstick had transferred onto Boyd’s cheeks, lips, and neck. As far as Stiles was concerned, at least someone was getting the love and attention they deserved. 

“I was out on a hike earlier this morning. As you all know, I periodically check the territory for any evidence of nefarious activities. I typically visit the nemeton to pay my respects during these hikes.”

Stiles held in a breath. He instantly hated himself for not being more careful. He’d cleaned up after himself, but it was a given that he probably left something incriminating behind. His greatest secret was about to be exposed and Deaton had summoned everyone there to confront him and witness his shame.

His heart started jackrabbiting and it took him a second to calm himself using one of the fae meditation techniques that his mom taught him. Thankfully, the werewolves in the room were used to his heart going wonky when he was faced with danger. Or just bad news in general, really.

“What did you find?” Derek asked the druid.

“New inscriptions were placed on a few trees surrounding the nemeton. It appears to be some type of elaborate warding system, but I haven’t been able to ascertain their purpose. The biggest issue is that we have a magic user in Beacon Hills. Since they didn’t announce themselves, I can only surmise that their actions are suspect.”

Stiles rolled his eyes. For a man that kept his cards close to his vest and said very little, Deaton sure liked to pontificate just to hear his own voice. 

“We should go to the nemeton and see if we can track their scent.”

“That’s a good starting point, Scott. I used a bit of my druid magic to identify the suspect, but all I know is that they’re powerful and able to hide from me. Of course, there’s also the possibility that the symbols were left to draw the pack into a trap.”

“It wouldn’t be the first time,” Isaac noted from his spot in the corner. Stiles jumped only a moderate amount since he hadn’t seen the beta sitting there before he spoke. The action was noticed by all and Isaac had a wide grin on his face. Stiles fought down the urge to flip everyone off. 

“You’re all getting bells and GPS trackers for Christmas,” he muttered under his breath. The betas laughed and even Derek looked amused. Meanwhile, Scott had his _This-Is-A-Serious-Moment-Stiles_ look on his face.

The issue at hand was that Stiles was the one responsible for tampering with the nemeton and his actions had been discovered, though it seemed that his identity was still protected. He was faced with two choices: come clean and reveal that he had the best of intentions despite his failure, or continue to lie which would force everyone, himself included, to do countless hours of research and investigation. Not to mention that everyone would be that much more pissed with him after the fact when they eventually found out. And they were going to find out sometime, Stiles acknowledged.

“Guys—?” He started to explain, but he was interrupted by Derek talking over him. 

“Scott and I will go to the nemeton and see if we can pick up any scents that will lead us to the person responsible. The rest of you will stay here and help Deaton identify these symbols.”

“Seriously? Why can’t Scott stay here and do the research?” Erica asked, cocking her hip out to give a little attitude.

“Scott’s better at identifying scents,” Derek pointed out. 

“He’s been a werewolf longer than we have,” Isaac reminded everyone, not that it needed to be done. “We just need more practice.”

“Uh, guys?” Stiles tried again, but he was still ignored. 

“Scott and I will go to the nemeton,” Derek repeated. “The rest of you will remain here.”

“You’re the boss,” Erica acquiesced, clearly disgruntled over being dismissed. Stiles couldn’t blame her for being upset seeing as how Derek was willingly teaming up with, at best, a pack-adjacent ally over selecting one or all of his own betas. 

It was a given that there was some jealousy between the betas that Derek bit and the alpha’s attention to Scott, but a lot of that had to do with Scott being his own pseudo-alpha and inserting himself whether Derek wanted him to or not. It was easier for Derek to just accept his involvement and work with him.

“I’m the alpha,” Derek said, proving his point by flashing his red eyes. Erica and Isaac flashed their eyes back, but they fell in line. Boyd’s eyes stayed normal, but he bent his head to the side and exposed his neck in submission. 

Derek turned to Deaton when it was evident that he wasn’t going to get any more lip from his pups. “We’ll text if we find anything, Alan.”

“Excellent. I’ll start looking into what—.”

“Guys!”

All eyes turned to him and Stiles winced at the sudden attention. He hadn’t meant to yell, but it was effective. 

“On a scale from one to ten, how screwed would I be if I happen to know what this is about?”

“You’re responsible for this? How did you even locate the nemeton?” Deaton questioned. Stiles could see the moment his eyes narrowed and his suspicions began to grow. 

Stiles scoffed. “Hey, I have skills. For starters, the nemeton and I go way back.”

“Excuse me?” Deaton inquired, arms crossed over his chest. Now the guy just looked annoyed.

“I was born beside it,” Stiles revealed. “My mom wanted me to be delivered next to the nemeton. It’s considered good luck for my people.”

When no one said anything else, Stiles knew it was too late to backtrack. “So there may be a couple of things that I haven’t told you guys about me. Any of you.”

He looked at Scott and tried to apologize with only his eyes, but he was man enough to accept that he probably just looked like he was drugged up. 

“I did it. I put up some wards to purify the nemeton, but it didn’t work. On the plus side, I now know where I went wrong. Everything was perfect, but I made a rookie mistake. I forgot to wait until the new moon. I’m guessing that the moon phase provides the nemeton with a power boost. It would be different if it was already at full strength, but it’s still a bit damaged.”

“I’m confused,” Isaac reported, standing up and moving toward the group. 

“That makes two of us,” Erica chimed in. 

Deaton looked down at his drawings of the ward symbols he’d sketched out and he nodded after a beat. “That does align with these symbols. These two are protection runes, but the third and fourth symbols are what are known as modifiers. Think of them like a knob on a radio that helps the device tune in to a particular station.”

“Explain,” Derek demanded. Stiles felt like he wanted to shrink under the alpha’s glare. He hadn’t been afraid of Derek for a while, but there was a growing chance that Derek was going to see him as an enemy and want him dead for being in the territory without announcing his presence.

“Right. Well, it’s actually a pretty great story. My mom came here to do some research and on her first visit to the preserve, she met my dad and they fell in love. They were always sappy when they were together. Scott and I used to tease them about it, but then my mom got sick and…yeah, that’s another topic for another day. The truth is that I’m not totally human. I mean, my dad is human, but my mom wasn’t. She was fae. That makes me a—.”

“Hybrid,” Deaton gasped out, eyes growing wide. All of the annoyance on his face washed away and he looked at Stiles with wonder. “Remarkable. How have you remained hidden in plain sight all this time?”

“I’m a spark, too. So was my mom.”

Deaton noticed that Stiles’ words weren’t clicking with anyone else in the room. “All fae are magic to an extent. Their civilization goes back as long as humans have walked this planet.”

“Longer,” Stiles informed everyone.

“Most have theorized that to be true, but we’ve never had any way to prove it. Fae are powerful, but sparks are stronger and more skilled than even the most expert fae arcanists. Stiles is telling us that he’s one of the most powerful beings in existence.”

Stiles waved his hand in the air to try to distract from the sight blush on his face. “There are beings that are a lot more powerful than me. The natural world exists in balance so no matter how powerful a person is, there’s always going to be someone more powerful.”

“Is it true that sparks have an extended lifespan?” Deaton asked.

Stiles nodded his head. “Yeah, but not as long as a regular fae. That’s the drawback. We burn brighter because of all that magic inside of us, so while a regular fae can live for a few hundred years, I probably won’t live beyond a hundred and fifty. And that's only if some gnarly beast doesn’t come into town to kill me for my delicious hybrid blood.”

“Gross,” Scott said, scrunching up his face in disgust. Stiles patted his friend’s shoulder in apology, but he needed them to know that he wasn’t invincible.

“My mom taught me everything she knew before she got sick. I wanted to tell you guys so many times, but I didn’t really know how to do it once I was sure that I could trust you all. And Scott, I wanted to tell you the most, you have to know that. But my mom warned me that anyone I told would be put in danger. 

“You got bit and I thought it was the perfect chance to come clean, but everything happened so fast those first few weeks. Plus, I knew you didn’t like being a werewolf. I was afraid you wouldn’t want anything to do with me if you knew.”

“You’re an idiot,” Scott told him. He reached over and squeezed Stiles' shoulder and Stiles wondered if Scott knew just how important that gesture meant to him.

“Idiot is my middle name,” Stiles teased. “So the good news is that this isn’t a trap. No one is out to steal the nemeton’s power and no one is plotting to murder us all in our sleep. Our extended weekend is safe, boys and girls.”

Deaton waited a moment for Stiles' words to sink in before he spoke up. “Stiles, in the future, I’d appreciate being consulted before you did anything to affect the nemeton.”

“That’s fair,” Stiles agreed. “Do you maybe want to help me with the purification wards? I really think cleansing the nemeton would help deter some of the riffraff from heading towards town. A spark and a druid working together has got to be an improvement on me going it alone.”

“I’ll assist you,” Deaton assured him. 

“Do you have pointy ears?” Boyd asked suddenly. “Like in the movies.”

Stiles opened his mouth to speak, but he closed his mouth a second later. He just closed his eyes and nodded. Thankfully, the onslaught of teasing didn’t come as he expected it to. He was even more grateful that Jackson wasn’t around to chime in.

“Cool,” Erica said.

Stiles opened his eyes and looked at her. “Cool?”

“Yeah, it’s cool. But uh…why didn’t you use your magic to escape the basement the night Gerard took you from the field?”

“Gerard did what?!” Derek asked, eyes burning crimson. Scott looked equally angry. “Why wasn’t I told about this?”

“I didn’t know either,” Scott informed them all.

Erica realized her mistake and she looked down at the floor and whispered an apology while Boyd pulled her into a hug. He tipped his head down to kiss her neck while he rubbed her shoulders.

“Actually, I did use magic that night. I couldn’t do anything to take away your pain, but I was able to amplify your healing so that you’d be able to protect yourselves if you got away. Not even a wolfsbane bullet to the head would’ve been enough to kill you that night. And I called Chris and blackmailed him into taking you guys to the preserve and releasing you, but I can't really go into details about that since he held up his end.”

“Holy crap. You’re a BAMF, Batman,” Erica said, smiling at him again. 

Stiles just shrugged his shoulders. “Eh, maybe a little.”

Scott put his hands on his hips and he growled to draw Stiles' attention. “Can we go back to the part where Gerard kidnapped you from the lacrosse field? When did that even…oh. The homecoming game?”

Stiles shoved his hands into the pockets of his hoodie. “Yeah. I was so amped about scoring a goal that I let my guard down. Gerard’s goons injected me with something to knocked me out and then they carried me to a car and delivered me to him. He beat the crap out of me, but Boyd and Erica had it worse. I wanted to kill the bastard so bad, but I couldn't do it until I figured out what his long game was. I’m glad I waited because it helped save Jackson’s life, not that the jerk would ever admit it.”

“I’m so sorry, Stiles,” Scott insisted. “I didn't know. We thought you got taken by the opposing team and Gerard never said anything about going after you. I should’ve known something was up as soon as I saw your injuries, but you didn’t want to talk about it. You always tell us you’re fine.”

“It’s okay. I’m okay.”

Scott’s eyebrows went up a few microns. “Yeah, like that.”

“I’m sorry,” Derek spoke. That made Stiles frown. 

“Huh? You have nothing to be sorry for, Sourwolf. You didn't know Gerard was going to take me.”

The alpha lowered his head in shame. Stiles hated seeing the guy he had a crush on look so crestfallen.

“We were so busy dealing with Jackson that we didn’t even know you’d been taken. We’re just hearing about it now after all this time, Stiles. A real alpha would’ve known something was wrong right away. And a real alpha would’ve known that you weren’t completely human, too.”

Stiles fought the urge to walk over and take the alpha by the shoulders. He didn’t know when he’d become so desperate to touch Derek, and not even in a filthy way, though he was definitely up for that sort of touching as well.

“Derek, you guys needed to be there for Jackson that night. Boyd, Erica, and I had each other’s backs. That's what it means to be in a pack, right? The alpha isn't the only one responsible for looking after the group. We’re all in this together, High School Musical references aside. It’s not all on your shoulders, big guy.”

“Nicely said, dude,” Scott told him. He reached over and gave him a fist bump that made Stiles smile. 

“But I’m the alpha. It _is_ my responsibility to look out for everyone.”

“And you did,” Boyd assured him. Stiles was so thankful for Boyd that he could’ve kissed the guy, but he didn't want to get impaled on Erica’s claws for making a move on her man. “You can't be everywhere at once. You were dealing with the most pressing issue at the time. Once that was resolved, you would’ve come for us if we’d still been locked up in the Argent’s basement.”

“He’s right,” Erica agreed. “They both are. You're the alpha, but this isn’t some hierarchical pyramid where you’re at the top and the rest of us are at the bottom. We’re more like—.”

“A circle,” Scott interrupted. “You’re in the center and the rest of us are surrounding you in a ring. You’re the pack’s leader, our guide, but we’re just as responsible for looking after each other as you are.”

Everyone was shocked into silence by what Scott said. Clearly, his talks with Deaton had started to wisen him up to how packs were meant to work.

Stiles sucked in a deep breath when he felt Scott’s bond to the pack strengthen and grow just as bright as the other betas’ bonds. Derek’s eyes flashed red for a few seconds. Stiles looked over and saw that Isaac, Boyd, and Erica also seemed to notice the change. Jackson probably even felt it, wherever he was.

“What just happened?” Deaton asked, sensing something shift. Even though he was the former Hale emissary, he didn’t have any pack bonds to the current Hale pack.

“Scott just accepted his place in the pack,” Stiles announced. He did so with a big smile on his face. 

He turned and met Derek’s eyes. The alpha smiled at him, too. “You felt it?”

Stiles ran a hand over the back of his neck. “Of course. I—I also felt it when our own bond formed that night at the swimming pool.” He refused to look away. He needed Derek to know that he understood why his pack back bond was brighter and stronger than the others. He needed Derek to know that he knew the alpha was his mate, that he acknowledged it all those months prior. He wasn’t going to run away because he knew the truth.

“Oh,” Derek whispered. His eyes were a little wide and his mouth hung open until Deaton ruined the moment by clearing his throat. 

“Well, this is a moment to celebrate. While I didn't know of your spark or your hybrid nature, my instincts have been leading me to believe that you, Stiles, are the next Hale emissary. Everything we’ve learned here today confirms it. The fact that you were born at the nemeton is enough, on its own, to explain your ties to the land.”

“Me? I don't know if I’d be a good emissary,” Stiles confessed. “I'm not the type to stay away from the action.”

Deaton shrugged his shoulders. “Perhaps that’s what the Hale pack needs. Every emissary is different, Stiles.”

“Can I even be Derek’s emissary?”

He didn’t verbalize his reasons for asking. He couldn't just come out and ask if he was even allowed to be the alpha’s emissary if he was also the alpha’s mate. Thankfully, Derek nodded his head in the affirmative. “If you want to be.”

“Let's talk about it later, just the two of us,” Stiles offered. The two of them needed to sit down and have a long discussion about what everything meant. There was no way he was going to make the decision for Derek. He would only agree if Derek wanted it as well.

“That’s a good idea. In the meantime, Stiles and I will set a time at the beginning of the week to go over the purification wards. The new moon is next Friday and it would be the perfect time to make the alpha-emissary bond official, too.”

“Thanks,” Stiles said. “I’ll come over on Monday after school and I’ll bring all my research so I can show you what I had in mind. I also have some thoughts on the other wards around the territory.”

“Fantastic,” Deaton agreed. “I should prepare for my next patient due at the top of the hour.”

“Sweet! Time for date night,” Erica said, kissing Boyd on the lips. She dragged him out the door and they heard the sounds of the Camaro doors opening and closing. 

“Stiles and I have a bro date to play video games,” Scott said, turning to Isaac. “Are we still on for ultimate frisbee tomorrow?”

Isaac nodded his head. “Yeah, everything’s all arranged. I’d better get to the car before they move past second base.”

Stiles smirked. “What makes you think they’ll stop just because you’re in the car?”

Isaac made a disgusted face and his walk to the car slowed a bit. After he was outside, Stiles handed his keys to Scott. “Tell Isaac he can come hang out with us at our video game session if he wants.”

Scott’s eyes brightened a little bit. “Really? You’d be okay with that?”

“Sure. He’s pack.”

Scott smiled wide like a loon. “He’s in. He said he’ll order some pizzas so we can veg out.”

“Cool. A real man never turns down free pizza.”

Scott looked between Stiles and Derek and then he held up the keys. “Isaac and I will be in the Jeep. No rush.”

Stiles hugged his best friend before Scott headed outside. Deaton excused himself to retreat to one of his exam rooms and Stiles suddenly felt like he was the last kid picked in gym class. He was used to that feeling, but it was different when he was standing in front of his mate.

“It's nice of you to include Isaac.”

Stiles shrugged his shoulders. “Between you and me, it’ll be nice to have the extra company. I’ve been beating Scott at video games since I was nine years old. I’m ready for an actual challenge.”

The Jeep horn went off for a few seconds of protest and Stiles chuckled. He could picture Scott’s shouts to the contrary. “So are we okay? I’m not, like, kicked out of the pack or anything?”

Derek frowned. “Of course not. You’re pack, Stiles. You have been since you kept me afloat that night at the high school pool. I felt the bond snap into place, too. I know what it—.”

Stiles held up a finger to stop him. He walked over to the nearest wall and drew a basic silencing rune and activated it with power from his spark. Derek looked around, confused at why he was suddenly unable to hear anything outside the building.

“It’s a silencing rune. I wasn’t sure if you’d want the betas to hear what I’m about to say.”

Derek looked sad, but he still nodded his head. He put his hands into the pockets of his jeans. “It's okay. I understand. I’m not really a catch given my history.”

Stiles rolled his eyes. He rushed forward and pressed his lips to Derek’s lips. Stiles didn’t want Derek to ever think he wasn’t good enough, that he wasn’t exactly the mate that Stiles needed and wanted. 

“You’re my mate, dummy. I’ve been falling in love with you for months and you’re the only person that I want, Derek. Do you hear me? Not Lydia, or Danny, or even Mrs. Beasley down the street from my house.”

“The woman with the artificial arm?”

“Yeah, that's her. She’s pretty spry for a woman in her seventies. I wonder if she’s supernatural. That would explain all of her energy. Did you know she still mows her own lawn?”

Derek smiled. Stiles flailed a little bit when Derek grabbed him by the front of his shirt and pulled him forward. Before Stiles could say anything, Derek was kissing him with much more fervor than before. Stiles opened his mouth on instinct and it wasn’t long before Derek’s tongue was pressed against his own, claiming his mouth. It was perfect.

“Damn,” Stiles said when they broke for air. “You’re just…yeah. So. So…”

“So?” Derek teased. For the first time ever, the guy looked like he was smiling with his eyes. Tyra Banks would’ve been proud of him for smizing. 

“You’re the best mate anyone could ask for.”

“You’re the best mate anyone could ask for," Derek countered.

“Then I guess we’re both pretty lucky. Isaac and Scott are waiting for me, but you can come over later if you want. My dad’s working the late shift.”

Derek shook his head. “Stiles, you’re seventeen years old. I cant…we can’t have sex yet.”

Stiles put his hand on Derek’s chest and pushed him away in a playful gesture. His superior strength caused Derek to stagger back a few steps. The physical contact was glorious. 

“It's okay. We can wait until I’m eighteen for all the sexy times. I’m fine waiting. That doesn’t mean you can’t come over and cuddle with me in bed.”

“Our clothes are staying on,” Derek affirmed as he took Stiles by the waist and pulled him into a hug. Their bodies slotted together like they were meant to be. 

“Fair enough. If you play your cards right, I’ll show you my pointy ears.”

Derek’s eyes flashed red and there was a rumble that moved through his chest. He turned their bodies and suddenly Stiles was pressed up against the wall with Derek’s hands on his ass. Stiles moaned and he followed it up with a groan. 

“You have no idea what you pressing me up against walls does to me,” he whimpered.

Derek pressed a kiss to Stiles' neck and then he raised his head so that his mouth was beside the teen’s ear. “Why do you think I do it so often?”

“See? The best mate,” Stiles confirmed. He bucked forward and moaned a second time when the angle of their groins was just right to allow proper friction. Derek moaned a moment later. 

The sound of a throat clearing caused them to separate and Stiles slid down the wall few inches before his feet remembered why they were attached to his legs. He stepped forward and wobbled a few times, but suddenly Derek was back beside him placing a steadying hand on his back. 

“Gentlemen, as happy as I am for the both of you, I thought it prudent to remind you that the privacy ward only works on blocking out the sound from outside the building. Since I was in my office, I was able to hear everything that was said.”

Stiles wanted to die from the embarrassment, but everything seemed okay with Derek at his side. 

“Sorry, Deaton,” Derek offered sincerely. “We were caught up in the moment.”

“Yes, well, it would probably be best for you to tend to your betas in the parking lot. I just saw Erica and Isaac sword fighting with metal rods left over from a construction project. It seems they got bored waiting for the two of you.”

“Puppies,” Stiles muttered, happier than he’s ever been in his entire life. “See you Monday, doc.”

“Goodbye, Alpha Hale. Goodbye, Emissary Stilinski.”

Stiles did a double take. He grabbed Derek’s hand and the two of them made their way toward the exit. “I like the sound of that.”

“Me, too,” Derek agreed. 

Stiles snapped his fingers and the rune that he drew on the wall dissipated. The sounds outside of the clinic rushed back in and they both heard Isaac and Erica trash talking each other while Boyd and Scott cheered them on and bet each other over the outcome. Stiles and Derek joined them in the lot and Stiles did some of his own cheering. 

Everything went silent after a moment when the betas realized that Stiles and Derek were holding hands. Erica let the pipe she was holding fall to the ground. “Huh. That actually makes so much sense.”

“Totally,” Isaac agreed.

“Does this make you pack mom?” Erica inquired. 

“In a way,” Derek spoke before Stiles could respond. “Stiles is my mate. He’s also our emissary.”

“You hit the jackpot, Stilinski,” Boyd said. The beta gave him a thumbs up and Stiles gave him a bro-nod to signal that he knew just how lucky he was. 

Stiles turned his head toward Derek. “I can't wait until I’m eighteen. I’m gonna sex you up so good.”

Derek blushed and it was one of the best things Stiles had ever witnessed. The alpha’s neck and cheeks went a little pink, but the blush also transferred to the tips of his ears. Stiles leaned forward and he pressed his nose to his alpha's neck. He inhaled his mate’s earthy scent and reveled in it until he couldn't resist any longer. He licked a stripe up the side of his alpha’s neck and ignored the disgruntled complaints from a couple of the betas. 

“Mine,” Stiles told his alpha. 

“Yours,” his alpha agreed. 

They separated a few minutes later to go about their evening, but they spent that night and nearly every night after wrapped up in the comfort and safety of each other’s arms.

_  
-The End-_


End file.
